Internal-combustion engine



Aug. 5, 1947. l.. o. KNIGHT INTERNAL- 2,425J56 lcoM'BUsTloN ENGINE Filed, March 12, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 5, 1947. L. o. KNIGHT I A 2,425,156

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March l2, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J6 55 Ja 4o 7- 1 /Z 4/ 5 40 '2//66 9. 5 /4Z" 4Z www f6 f4 925% f Mtg @Arf z Patented Aug. 5, 1947 UNITED :STATES v:Paire-Nfr foFFicE 2,425,156 `irlz'R'rTALC0MBsifiGi Y r131ml o. Knight, lelafodon, Pa. vAmnioation Maron 12, 1943,?sera1No. reeel (clima-555') tcrimsona ."Thisinve'otion relates'to an'mtfnai combustin engine.

'Itisgenerally-aimed to provide a increy efficient exceedingly ccflflpactengine of the duztlpylindertype attaining greater uniformity'in torque application' and whereinthe weightA factoris small relatveto horse power.

`I" especially aim to `provide a means t'o cool'the dualcylinders more efficiently thanwithl forced J'air an'dnore nspecifically to buildior'incorporate "the "intake inanifold within the part or parts vhiri'nin'g' the `orank caseQpreferably integral therewith; andl provide distrib'utng .passages therefrom to tho'fuei imts of the oyimid'ers so that thosuperchargetfuel'inay be passed through lsaid manifold and passages for valpor'zatin an/dto further fperformthe'functionof'rcoolin'g the engine. This lfeatureof the invention'providesa compact and shortrneans of'fueling a'nd supercharging multi ple dual cylinders, solvesthe problem of cooling "such 'oylinders at" the zones between the independent ylinders'and also con-ceals the fuel supply and'eooling system and renders it lessvulnerable to' damage "as whenV employed "in aircraft inv combat.

lIn addition, an `objectis`toprovide a novel 'arrangement Whereinthe connecting rodsare attachedto a"sleevewhich is journaled on a crank or wrist lpin'of vthe crankshaft and which rods are spaced along the sleeve from or disaligned with anti-friction bearing wdevices at the'e'nds of 'the'sleve so as'to absorb the dangerous part "oftheishock'of explosions in combination with a novel `lubricating'syster'n 'which maintainsl a body of lubricantbletween the'sleeve and pinto afford "a'f'cush'h Other objects are to provide'a noveldirect systmror the lubrication" of the moving'parts'and a timingsystem Awherein valves'fordffereht cylinders may be 'operated'from` a single cam.Y

The more specific objects and advantages will l'become'apparent from a consideration of the de- 'scription following taken inV connection lwith accompanying 'drawings illustrating one operative 'appro'xina'tely thesjm'eplaneas Fi'gf2'to show the crank 'and 'oonneoting 'rod assenibly and v'nearis of 'lubricationv and Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectionthroug'h ahmdiedrI-'n 0f Vbankcif cylinders.

like reference characters' designate like or' correlsp'ond'ingfparts, IIJ designates acrankcalse from VMwhioh#radiatebanks il each having a -pair of integral'dualcylinders"2. Such'parts are'adapt- "ed to` heiounted' so as to remainV stationary in operation.

"said'orank-eas'eii-n is made'injseparab1e-seoanti-friction bearing Vdevices lr'offthetypehavejquivalntll To one end wall [4, a cap platel 'is is bolted at i9' while from'tho other enawau i4, a marginal flange 20 projects and has 'a sup- Each crank case Section C'and Dhas'an annular `itt' 'is tobe particularly notedl thatsaid rinis 2li have Y're`gfi`s`terin`gannul'ar depressions or channels 26"whereby 'an 'intake "inan'ifold for supercharged 354 fuel is `provic'le'd"and which may be gasoline or other 'hydrocarbon supplied in the conventional manner Vfrom a carburetor and supercharger "(not 'ShOWIDJa'StHedA-n communication with an inlet Revertin'g'V to thebanks l I, they have flat bases fbridging'thefjunction 'of' the crank case sections C and'D' and'flanges 28 whereby they are bolted atl!) to at seats`30on` the periphery of annular H'walls 23 withthebores lor interiors of cylinders l2 registering with''peningsl in 'said walls 23. Boltd lfv32 V*156 each bank Il isa Cylinder head "133 "common to born-cylinders lz'ofthat bank. 'The' interior orlspaCe 'within each cylinder head "isrdiviqjeaby partitions 34 providing fuei'inret possa'ges asghovmg tral inlets 35a and xhauit 3 of the bank with its inner and outer ends, respectively, in communication with manifold 26 and passage 35, the latter as shown being common to both cylinders of the bank. Thus the super- The particular construction and arrangement I of the intake manifold 26 and associated passages provides a compact and short means for fueling and supercharging multiple cylinder engines. By it, I attain maximum eiciency in vaporizing the fuel through heat exchange as well as in the cooling of the cylinders by the fuel especially at the zones between them. The said manifold and passages are obscured and concealed so as to be less accessible and vulnerable to damage in case of combat, especially when employed in aircraft.

The explosions from the supercharged fuel within the ring chambers of the cylinders I2 are timed and effected by conventional ignition means in coaction with the valves 31 and 38 to drive reciprocatory pistons 4I within the cylinders. A pair of connecting rods 42 and a plurality of connecting rods 43 are journaled on hollow Wrist pins 44 carried by said pistons. ,Said connecting rods 42 operate within the dual cylinders of one bank I I and are bolted at 45 against flat surfaces 46 of a crank sleeve 41 while the connecting rods 43 are pivoted on journal pins 48 each mounted in pairs of lugs 48a on said crank sleeve 41. Bushings 48b are interposed between the pins 48 and coacting connecting rods.

The aforesaid crank shaft I3 has webs 56 mounting a crank in the form of a pin I on which said crank sleeve 41 is journaled. Counterlbalancing weights |52 may be carried by the webs 5U.

Crank 5I has reduced ends 52 removably tted in openings of the webs 5D and held in position by means of screws 53 threaded into the bore 54 of the latter and having heads 55 overlapping the webs. On reduced portions 52 and engaged in recesses 56 of crank sleeve 41, are anti-friction bearing devices 51 like those at I5. The periphery of crank `pin 5I, between such devices 51, is of less diameter than and spaced from the bore wall of the sleeve to provide a lubricant reservoir 58 at the ends of which the metal-backed felt or other porous washers 59 are disposed to permit escape of lubricant in a quantity suiiiciently restricted to lubricate only the bearing devices 51 and adjacent parts. The thrust of the crank sleeve 41 is against anti-friction bearing devices 59a of the type like those at I5 and 51, which are positioned in recesses 69 of the webs 50 between such webs and ends of said crank sleeve and contacted by said bearing devices 51.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the connecting rods 42 and 43 are not directly over the zones of bearing contact of the crank sleeve 41 with crank or pin 5I but rather are inwardly thereof spaced from the planes of the ends of such sleeve, and accordingly with the sleeve made of the proper metal and of correct size according to the explosive pressures from the pistons 4I, said crank sleeve 41 will take the dangerous parts of the shocks from the explosions away from the bearings. Also the body and pressure of oil or lubricant in reservoir 58 will serve to reduce or absorb the aforesaid shocks.

The crank case utilizes the dry sump system of lubrication, a suction pump taking the oil out of the crank case as it drains from the pressure system but in order to directly lubricate the various working parts not reached thereby, the crank shaft I3 has a channel or passage 6I to which lubricant is supplied continuously under pressure as from a conventional pump (not shown) through a fitting Bla and from which it spreads through a branch 6Ib to a passage 62 in pin 5I, thence through passages 63 in one of the screws 53 into a passage 64 of said pin 5I to reservoir 58. From the latter the lubricant spreads through passages 65 in the crank sleeve 41, passages 66 in the connecting rods 42 to the periphery of wrist pins 44 thereof, and also spreads through passages 61 in said crank sleeve, passages 68 in certain of the lugs 48a, into passages 1I of connecting rods 43 to the periphery of the adjacent wrist pins 44. Screws 12 are threaded into certain lugs 482L and the pins 48 to fasten the latter in place and plug the extremities of passages 69 caused in drilling. Screws 13 plug other extremities of said passages 69 caused in the drilling thereof.

By way of example, I have disclosed the engine as having five banks of cylinders and pistons. It is to be understood, however, that the number may be varied and for instances, be three, seven, nine, etc. still carrying out the same principles.

Cam shafts 14 are used to operate the valves 31 and 38, being driven from a chain of gears 14a from crank shaft I3; the specific operating means between the valves and shafts being conventional and not shown. The structure, however, enables me to use two cam shafts for three banks or six cylinders and only one cam shaft added for every two banks or four cylinders added.

Conventional heat-dissipating fins 14b may be provided on the cylinders I2 and fins 16 may be formed on such cylinders and extend into the passages 39 `as shown in the modification of Fig. 6, to promote the heat-exchanging effect between the relatively cold fuel therein and the heat produced in operating the engine.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An internal combustion engine having a crank case, cylinders associated therewith, a shaft having a crank operable in said crank case, pistons operable in said cylinders, said crank case comprising separable sections each having an end wall and a channel spaced therefrom, said channels registering and facing each other and co1- lectively'forming an intake manifold for the supply of fue] to operate said pistons.

2. An internal combustion engine having a crank case, cylinders associated therewith, a shaft having a crank operable in said crank case, pistons operable in said cylinders, said crank case comprising sections having end walls and cylindrical walls disposed end to end and in abutment, said sections at their abutting ends having integral depressed portions registering with each other and collectively forming an intake manifold spacedfrom said end walls for the supply of fuel to operate said pistons.

3. An internal combustion engine according to claim 2 wherein said abutting sides are walls havingrcoacting securing flanges at the inner margins, and wherein the manifold has outlets at the periphery of the crank case.

4. A crank case having separable sections provided with end walls and cylindrical walls extending therefrom, said cylindrical walls remote to said end walls being fastened in abutting relation, one of said sections at the zone of abutment having an endless depression in its wall coacting with the opposed wall to provide an intake manifold.

5. A crank ease having separable sections arranged side by side and having end Walls and inwardly extending rims at the zone of contact, one of said rims having an endless depression coacting with the opposed rim in spaced relation to the end walls to provide an intake manifold, and one of said sections having discharge outlets at the periphery of the crank case.

6. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein the cylinders are in banks and fuel passages are provided in the banks between the cylinders thereof in communication with the manifold.

7. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein the cylinders are in banks having a plurality of them integral with each other, each bank having a fuel passage between the cylinders thereof in communication with the manfold.

8. An internal combustion engine according to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,398,194 Lawrance Nov, 22, 1921 1,781,434 Brownback Nov. 11, 1930 1,897,191 Farina Feb. 14, 1933 1,195,441 Caron Aug. 22, 1916 1,323,685 Fedden et a1. Dec. 2, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 266,687 Italy 1929 348,332l England 1931 

